Sonia Schultz Greenbaum is best known as the third and final wife of legendary American actor George Segal. She was also his teenage sweetheart, and their love story became remarkable when they reunited after spending approximately 45 years apart. The couple married in the 1990s and remained together until Segal died on March 23, 2021.
Although George Segal spent decades in Hollywood, Sonia preferred a quieter life. She rarely appeared in interviews and never became a major public personality herself.
Her story is about more than being married to a famous actor. It involves young love, separate family lives, an unexpected reunion, and a relationship that continued through the later years of Segal’s career.
Here is a closer look at Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s background, family, marriage, and the details that have been documented about her life.
Who Is Sonia Schultz Greenbaum?
Sonia Schultz Greenbaum is an American woman who became publicly known through her marriage to George Segal, the acclaimed actor recognized for films such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and television series including Just Shoot Me! and The Goldbergs.
Before becoming Segal’s wife, Sonia had already experienced marriage, motherhood, and years of living outside the entertainment industry.
Unlike many people connected to Hollywood celebrities, she did not build a public career around her husband’s fame. Most information about her comes from interviews with George, newspaper reports, and occasional public appearances.
Her relationship with Segal has attracted particular interest because they first fell in love as young students and eventually found their way back to each other decades later.
Early Life and Education
Sonia Schultz Greenbaum spent part of her teenage years attending George School, a Quaker boarding school in Pennsylvania.
It was there that she met George Segal during the late 1940s. The two developed a close connection that eventually became a youthful romance.
An article published by the Los Angeles Times in April 2005 described how George noticed Sonia while they were students. Their relationship began long before he became a recognizable name in American entertainment.
After leaving school, their lives took different directions.
George continued his education and eventually pursued acting, while Sonia followed a more private path.
According to the same newspaper account, Sonia spent time working as a waitress in Cape May, New Jersey.
However, relatively little is publicly documented about her childhood, parents, siblings, or complete educational history.
Her exact date of birth and age have not been reliably confirmed in widely available biographical records.
Life Before George Segal
Sonia had an established personal life long before her relationship with George Segal resumed.
After their teenage romance ended, she married another man and became a mother of three children. Her first marriage eventually ended in divorce.
During those years, George was developing his career in theater and movies.
While Segal became famous for his acting, Sonia largely remained outside the public eye. Their lives continued separately for several decades.
One of Sonia’s children, Matthew Greenbaum, later became involved in the restaurant industry in Sonoma County, California.
A 2003 article in the North Bay Bohemian identified Matthew as a restaurant owner and George Segal as his stepfather. This reporting offers a glimpse of Sonia’s family connections beyond Hollywood.
Much of her life during those years remains private, and there is no reliable reason to fill those gaps with assumptions.
How Sonia Schultz Greenbaum Met George Segal
Sonia and George first met at George School in Pennsylvania.
Their teenage relationship began around the end of the 1940s and developed into what George later described as his first romance.
They were young and had different futures ahead of them.
In a particularly memorable detail reported by the Los Angeles Times, George sent Sonia a postcard from Oregon in August 1951. He mentioned Crater Lake as a place where they might someday spend a honeymoon.
Despite their romantic connection, they did not marry at that time.
Instead, they separated and eventually formed relationships with other people.
Neither could have known that their story would continue so many years later.
Their Reunion After 45 Years
One of the most interesting chapters in Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s life is her reunion with George Segal.
In the mid-1990s, George was experiencing a difficult period. His second wife, Linda Rogoff, had been seriously ill.
Around the time of a 45th school reunion, a former classmate helped George and Sonia reconnect.
The two began communicating by telephone after decades without seeing each other.
Their conversations became increasingly important.
In a 1997 interview with Associated Press journalist Bob Thomas, George recalled that they sometimes spoke for approximately six hours at a time.
Sonia became someone he could speak to openly while dealing with his wife’s illness and the emotional difficulties surrounding it.
When Linda died in 1996, George was devastated.
After her death, he traveled to Northern California, where he reunited with Sonia in person.
Their old friendship eventually became a romantic relationship again.
What makes the story especially touching is that they were no longer teenagers. Both had experienced marriage, parenthood, and major changes in their lives.
Yet they discovered that their connection had survived the passing decades.
Marriage to George Segal
Sonia Schultz Greenbaum became George Segal’s third wife in the 1990s.
The marriage is commonly dated to September 28, 1996, including in biographical records and contemporary reporting.
In a March 1997 Associated Press interview, George discussed marrying Sonia on September 28 following their reunion. A 2005 Los Angeles Times article also identified 1996 as their wedding year.
However, some later accounts, including reporting attributed to Sonoma County sources, have placed their wedding in September 1998.
Because published sources differ, the date should be approached carefully. The earlier interviews strongly support 1996, while the later reporting creates some uncertainty.
What is firmly established is that Sonia and George remained married until his death in 2021.
Their relationship lasted more than two decades and became an important part of the actor’s personal story.
Who Was George Segal?
George Segal was a respected American actor and musician whose entertainment career lasted approximately six decades.
He was born on February 13, 1934, and became one of Hollywood’s recognizable leading men during the 1960s and 1970s.
His performance in the 1966 film Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
He also appeared in several well-known movies, including A Touch of Class, California Split, The Owl and the Pussycat, and Fun with Dick and Jane.
Later, television introduced Segal to another generation of viewers.
He played magazine publisher Jack Gallo in Just Shoot Me! and portrayed Albert “Pops” Solomon in the popular ABC comedy The Goldbergs.
Outside acting, Segal enjoyed playing the banjo and performed with jazz musicians.
Despite his professional success, his personal life included difficult periods, especially the death of his second wife.
His reunion with Sonia became a meaningful turning point during those years.
Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s Children and Family
Family was already a major part of Sonia’s life before she reunited with George.
According to a 2005 Los Angeles Times account, Sonia had three children from her previous marriage.
One of them is Matthew Greenbaum, who developed a career in the restaurant business in Sonoma County.
Matthew was associated with Willow Wood Market Cafe and Underwood Bar and Bistro in Graton, California.
George Segal also had children from an earlier marriage.
His first wife, Marion Sobel, was a television story editor. The couple had two daughters, Elizabeth and Polly.
When George married Sonia, their relationship brought together two families with separate histories.
There are no widely documented reports that Sonia and George had children together.
Although their family connections are publicly known, Sonia has generally avoided sharing extensive details about her children and other relatives.
Life Away From Hollywood
Despite her husband’s fame, Sonia Schultz Greenbaum maintained a relatively private lifestyle.
The couple had ties to California, including Los Angeles and Sonoma County.
Sonoma County was particularly important because of Sonia’s family connections to the local restaurant community.
Her son Matthew’s restaurants became part of the family’s life in Northern California.
George also spent time in the area and was recognized by members of the local community.
A 2003 North Bay Bohemian restaurant feature noted his connection with Matthew’s business.
This provides an interesting contrast to the public image of a Hollywood marriage.
While George regularly worked on film sets and television productions, the couple also had personal and family connections outside the entertainment industry.
Their relationship was not defined entirely by red carpets or celebrity events.
Public Appearances With George Segal
Sonia was not completely absent from public life.
She occasionally accompanied George to film premieres, award ceremonies, and other entertainment events.
One documented appearance occurred on April 22, 2013, when the couple attended a Film Society of Lincoln Center event in New York.
Another important occasion took place on February 14, 2017.
That day, George Segal received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in recognition of his television career.
Sonia attended the ceremony with him.
Photographs published by United Press International show the couple together during the celebration.
The event was an important professional milestone for George, whose career had already lasted several decades.
Although Sonia appeared beside him at such occasions, she did not maintain the same public visibility as her husband.
George Segal’s Death in 2021
George Segal died on March 23, 2021, at the age of 87.
He passed away in Santa Rosa, California, following complications from bypass surgery.
Sonia Segal announced his death in a statement issued on behalf of the family.
The announcement received widespread coverage from major news organizations, including the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times.
His death marked the end of a distinguished career in film, theater, television, and music.
At the time, many younger viewers knew him as the lovable grandfather Pops from The Goldbergs.
His passing also marked the end of his long marriage to Sonia.
The couple had shared an unusual personal history, beginning with a school romance and continuing through a reunion many years later.
Where Is Sonia Schultz Greenbaum Today?
Following George Segal’s death, public information about Sonia Schultz Greenbaum has remained limited.
She has not maintained a prominent public profile or regularly appeared in major entertainment interviews.
There is also little verified information about her current residence or everyday activities.
Some online biographies make claims about her age, lifestyle, and personal circumstances, but these details are not always supported by reliable reporting.
As of 2026, there is insufficient verified public information to describe Sonia’s current life in detail.
Her absence from entertainment coverage should not be confused with confirmation about her personal circumstances.
The most accurate approach is to recognize that Sonia has remained a private individual whose public identity is primarily connected with her marriage to George Segal.
Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s Net Worth
People searching for Sonia Schultz Greenbaum often want to know how much money she has.
However, her personal net worth has not been reliably established by publicly available financial records.
There is no verified information providing a complete account of her income, investments, property ownership, or inheritance.
George Segal had a successful entertainment career, but his professional earnings should not automatically be treated as Sonia’s personal wealth.
Celebrity websites sometimes publish financial estimates without explaining their sources.
For that reason, any precise figure for Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s net worth should be treated as unverified unless supported by dependable evidence.
Why Her Love Story Still Attracts Interest
Many celebrity relationships begin after one or both people become famous.
Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s story is different.
She knew George Segal when he was a young student, long before Hollywood success changed his life.
They separated, married other people, raised children, and spent decades following different paths.
When they finally reconnected, they were older and had experienced significant personal changes.
Their relationship also resumed during a difficult time for George.
He later spoke openly about how much their conversations meant to him.
The most memorable part of their story is not simply that they married. It is that a relationship from their youth returned when they were at a completely different stage of life.
Their marriage continued until Segal’s death, giving their unusual reunion a lasting place in his personal history.
What Makes Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s Story Unique?
Sonia’s life is interesting partly because she remained outside the world that made her husband famous.
She did not become a television personality or use the relationship to create an entertainment career.
Instead, the public record shows someone with an established family history who shared the later decades of life with a successful actor.
Her story also highlights how personal relationships can change over time.
The friendship she developed with George as a teenager remained meaningful enough for them to reconnect after nearly half a century.
Although much of her private life remains undocumented, the available interviews and reports provide a genuine picture of an uncommon relationship.
That is what makes Sonia Schultz Greenbaum more than a familiar name in a Hollywood biography.
Final Thoughts
Sonia Schultz Greenbaum is best known as George Segal’s third wife, but her life story began long before their marriage.
She met him as a teenager, followed a separate path into adulthood, raised a family, and reunited with him decades later.
Their relationship developed at a time when both had already experienced major life changes.
They remained together through the later years of Segal’s successful acting career until his death in March 2021.
While many details about Sonia’s personal life remain private, her documented history with George continues to attract attention.
Their story is a reminder that some relationships do not follow a predictable timeline. Sometimes two people find their way back to each other long after they first met.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who is Sonia Schultz Greenbaum?
Sonia Schultz Greenbaum is best known as the third and final wife of American actor George Segal. She was also his teenage sweetheart, and they reunited approximately 45 years after their early romance.
2. How did Sonia Schultz Greenbaum meet George Segal?
Sonia met George while attending George School, a Quaker boarding school in Pennsylvania. They developed a romantic relationship during their teenage years.
3. When did Sonia Schultz Greenbaum marry George Segal?
The commonly reported date is September 28, 1996, supported by a contemporary Associated Press interview and a later Los Angeles Times account. Some other reporting gives September 1998, so the published dates are not entirely consistent.
4. How many children does Sonia Schultz Greenbaum have?
According to the Los Angeles Times, Sonia had three children from a previous marriage. Her son Matthew Greenbaum has been publicly associated with restaurants in Sonoma County, California.
5. Did Sonia and George Segal have children together?
There are no widely documented reports that Sonia and George had children together. George had two daughters, Elizabeth and Polly, from his first marriage.
6. What is Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s age?
Her exact birth date and age have not been reliably established in publicly available biographical sources.
7. What was Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s profession?
The Los Angeles Times reported that she worked as a waitress in Cape May, New Jersey, during her younger years. A complete and independently verified career history is not publicly available.
8. What happened to George Segal?
George Segal died on March 23, 2021, at the age of 87. His wife Sonia announced that he had died from complications following bypass surgery.
9. What is Sonia Schultz Greenbaum’s net worth?
Her personal net worth is not publicly verified. Claims about her wealth should be treated cautiously because dependable financial information is unavailable.
10. Where is Sonia Schultz Greenbaum now?
Sonia has maintained a low public profile since George Segal’s death. Her current residence and daily activities have not been reliably documented in recent public reporting.
11. Was Sonia Schultz Greenbaum George Segal’s first wife?
No. George was previously married to Marion Sobel and Linda Rogoff. Sonia was his third and final wife.
12. Why is Sonia Schultz Greenbaum famous?
She is primarily known for marrying actor George Segal after they reunited decades following their teenage relationship. Their long-lasting marriage has continued to attract public interest.
Sources and Further Reading
The biographical information in this article was researched using contemporary interviews, established news reporting, and documented public appearances.
- Los Angeles Times — A Love Story That Repeats Itself (2005)
- Associated Press — George Segal Interview (1997), archived by Virginia Tech
- Los Angeles Times — George Segal Obituary (2021)
- The Guardian — George Segal Obituary (2021)
- North Bay Bohemian — The Underwood (2003)
- UPI — George Segal and Sonia at the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2017)